The Region of Valencia prepares to celebrate its FALLAS 2008.

Light, colour, and fire will inundate the streets and squares of all the region’s towns and villages for days. Taylor Wimpey invites you to come and visit this hospitable land to experience the excitement of the internationally famous festival to the full.

From 1 to 19 March, at 2pm in the Town Hall square, ”mascletaes” are held, a pyrotechnic ritual consisting of a series of firecrackers, or ”masclets”, which are set off marking a special rhythm, and culminating in a finale of deafening noise. From midnight on 15 March, the ”plantà” officially starts and all the falla effigies can be contemplated in the streets and neighbourhoods. The falla sculptures are genuine works of art, consisting of papier mâché figures, or ”ninots”. The public plays a vital role as its votes mean that one of these figures will be ”pardoned” from the fire and taken to the Fallero Museum, where these ”pardoned ninots” have been on display since 1934.

On 17 and 18 March one of the most moving acts for the ”falleros” takes place: the traditional Offering of flowers to Our Lady of the Forsaken (Virgen de los Desamparados). For these two days all the Fallera Commissions are accompanied by marching bands as they parade through the streets dressed in regional costumes towards an enormous reproduction of the Virgin located in front of the Basilica. There, the falleras deposit flowers which eventually form a colourful robe for the Virgin. On 19 March the ”Cremà” takes place, in which all the falla effigies are set alight and turned to ash. This is the high point of the festivities but also the saddest, as it marks the end of the Fallas, although it is always possible to repeat the visit the following year.

Taylor Wimpey has five residential complexes in Alicante, Calpe, Rojales and Alcossebre. So, if you come to the Fallas, don’t forget to pay us a visit.

http://www.comunitatvalenciana.com/
http://www.turisvalencia.es/